CreativeMornings MKE | "NAKHLAH" نخلة with Khaula Kai

Join us on Friday, August 21 for the exclusive premiere of Nakhlah: A Documentary About Resilience and Identity.
About this Event

A CreativeMornings MKE exclusive! Our very first documentary film presented by Khaula Kai


About CreativeMornings

CreativeMornings is a global, volunteer-led breakfast lecture series designed for the creative community. Founded by Tina Roth-Eisenberg in New York City in 2008, it now hosts free monthly events in over 200 cities worldwide — providing an accessible space for designers, entrepreneurs, artists and other creative professionals to connect, find inspiration and build community.

The CreativeMornings Milwaukee chapter has been active since 2014. With CreativeMornings MKE, we foster Milwaukee's diverse creative community through boundary-breaking events at unique venues. Our free monthly Friday gatherings aim to ignite fresh perspectives, fostering an inclusive, vibrant space with engaging speakers. We champion diverse voices, inspire innovative thinking, and forge meaningful connections, enriching personal and professional landscapes. By transcending barriers, exploring new neighborhoods and nurturing creativity, we unite neighborhoods and harmonize voices, propelling our city forward in a collective spirit of creativity and inclusivity.

About Our Speaker & Filmmaker

Khaula Kai is an architect, entrepreneur, filmmaker, actor and director who immigrated to the United States with a passion for building — whether through design, business or storytelling.

She is the founder of The Local Makery, a creative makerspace where people learn hands-on skills, connect over wine and beer, and create together. The next chapter of The Local Makery includes a bookstore dedicated to banned books and fantasy literature, celebrating imagination and the freedom to explore new ideas.
Stay tuned to The Local Makery’s channels for more information about the bookstore launch, due this October.

As a filmmaker, Khaula creates stories centered on resilience, identity and the human experience. Whether designing spaces, building communities or making films, she is driven by the belief that creativity has the power to bring people together and inspire meaningful conversations.
We are so excited to see what Khaula has put together for our morning audience. Join us on Friday, August 21 for the exclusive premiere of "Nakhlah: A Documentary About Resilience and Identity."

Event Details

🗓️ Date: Friday, August 21, 2026
⏰ Time: 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
🏢 Location: Oriental Theatre 📽️🎞️ 2230 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53202
🎟️ Tickets are FREE! 🎟️ RSVP now to save your seat at the movies:

About Oriental Theatre

Milwaukee's favorite local arthouse cinema, the Oriental Theatre, is a world famous 1927 movie palace optimized for 21st century film viewing.

The Oriental Theatre has continuously operated over the past 99 years on Milwaukee’s East Side. It was designed by Gustave A. Dick and Alex Bauer with its elegant style and grand decor referencing East Indian cultures. The theater has hosted movies, rock performances, film festivals and more – notably holding the world record for the longest continuous run of the Rocky Horror Picture Show with a shadow cast, since 1978. (If you haven’t been to a RHPS midnight show, you need to go! It’s a whole interactive event.)

The theater operated by Milwaukee Film, shows local, independent and national films with over 600 films and 155,000 attendees a year. Milwaukee Film (formerly Milwaukee Film Festival) is a nonprofit cultural arts organization that has operated two cinemas, the Oriental since 2008 and the Downer Theatre since 2024, and facilitates year-round programming and initiatives to inspire community, artistry, education and joy.
Every spring, the organization hosts the MIlwaukee Film Festival, where visitors from 140 Wisconsin zip codes and 49 states come to Milwaukee to experience cinema in these theaters.

About Our Featured Performer

YMN (pronounced Yuh-man) is a Palestinian American hip-hop artist, activist and social worker based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Known for blending rap with rock elements and socio-political themes, he released his debut full-length album, Exposition, in May 2026.

YMN’s versatile music themes range from talking about human emotions, to fighting oppression, to putting out a unique sound that is not only about being moral, but is catchy and danceable too.
YMN has performed with Emmitt James and created music videos with Samer Ghani — both previous CreativeMornings MKE features! — so we know we’re in good company.

Getting There:

📍 Address: 2230 N. Farwell Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53202

🚌 Public Transit:
MCTS Route 30 stops across from the Oriental on Farwell Ave. (southbound) and on Prospect Ave. at Kenilworth Pl. (northbound). Route 21 bus stops on the corner of North Ave. and Farwell Ave.

🚲 Bicycle:
Accessible by surface streets. The Oak Leaf Trail passes just south of the Oriental with access at the bike path ramp south of Kenilworth Square. See the city site for more information on bike routes.

Bike Share:
Bublr Bikes has a station just south of the Oriental on Prospect Ave. at Kenilworth Pl.

🚘 Vehicle:
As you may know, parking on the East Side can be an adventure, so we recommend allowing yourself some time for arrival!
There is metered parking on all the streets surrounding the Oriental Theatre. If you don't mind walking a few blocks, there is free parking on the streets east of Prospect Avenue towards Lake Drive (ie Ivanhoe, Kenilworth, etc).
Otherwise, there are paid parking garages and lots in the area as well:

• Kenilworth Lower Level Parking, 2164 N Farwell Ave
• US Bank Farwell Lot, 2530 E Park Pl
• Prospect Medical Commons Garage, 2401 N Maryland Ave
• North Avenue Lot, 1915 E North Ave

Event Program:

The event officially opens at 8:30 a.m. and at 8:50 a.m. things will kick-off on stage, followed by Khaula Kai’s film, Nakhlah: A Documentary About Resilience and Identity. A short Q&A following the talk will wrap things up around 10:30 a.m.